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Success Journey XXV: Why Writing Is The Crucible Of All Media Creations.

Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. ~ Stephen King   I’ve had a few people question why I chose writing. Why not create audiovisual content like others are doing and start earning money? I mean writing doesn’t pay much, does it? It should be easier to convince and convene people to learn content creation that will earn them good money. Before I unpack my points let’s get two things straight. Firstly, it is erroneous to think that writers don’t make money. And secondly, writing is the root of all content. Now I am not a fan of those ads/articles that ‘reveal’ how you can make millions from writing etcetera simply because I know a majority of them are false. The aim is usually to sell something to you or worse still, sell you as a product by collecting your data. But don’t get me wrong people earn good money by writing. For instance, David Perell. But he will be the first to tell you the plain truth. You don’t become JK Rowling or Stephen King in a year or even 10. These bestselling authors were once like us, struggling to fill those blank pages and at times to pay the bills. The abraxas is that writing is a process. You just have to keep doing it by following the right path ie learning and implementing the strategies of those who succeeded before you. Then the millions MAY roll in. But even if you don’t earn big money you will still get the most important thing, fulfillment! There are innumerable reasons why writing is important and most people want to write for bragging rights. Of course, I want to belong to that elite societal class but I chose writing because of 3 things; 1. I love reading good stories. 2. It is a craft that gets you reading, thinking, and of course, writing MORE! (all components of learning). 3. Ultimately every creation started with an idea that must be written and acted on. So if thinking is the father of creativity ie the means of conception then writing is the mother that births it ie the delivery path. Writing is the mother of all media creations. There is practically nothing you can build or create without writing. Books, songs, movies etcetera. This is trite knowledge. Before now I used to scoff at Instagram slay queens who are all about skimpy wear and dancing as content. But I realised that many still write to describe their intention. Be it modelling, marketing or whatever, they write at least a line or two. So writing is critical. It is the crucible. If thinking is the father of ALL media conception then writing is the mother through which it is delivered. I hope I’m beginning to make sense. You can see that as a writer you already have the foundation to grow many branches. Your work can be converted into books, songs and movies. As writers, we join communities and interact because we want to keep improving our craft. Yet as as members of a larger society we equally want to acquire knowledge and skills in other areas that will improve our productivity. Learning from those who are doing it and willing to share free knowledge is a huge plus. Now even if we don’t set out to make money by writing we still want to earn some income from it. Money is the lifeblood of any society. It’s the sad truth but many make the mistake of prioritising the pursuit of money over value creation and end up disappointed or worse still, fall into greedy traps. But if you acquire essential skills, and create value/solutions the money will definitely pursue you. From writing to e-learning to languages and even foreign education and scholarships. I write about all these all the time because I want to learn and enhance my productivity with people who have the same goal. Through learning and networking, we can add better value to society and ultimately earn more. Now you can stack up these complementary skills and take a holistic approach to whatever you wish to create. Or you can niche down to the area that tickles your fancy the most. Either way, the ever-burgeoning creator economy is yours for the taking. You can brand and monetize your product and service after gaining the requisite experience. In the nearest future, this community would have metamorphosed into an institute for knowledge acquisition that will be either free or at the most affordable for anyone who desires to be intellectually productive. And the great thing is that by being part of our community you would have a diverse network of digital creatives as your support system. CAVEAT!!! There are no quick hacks. It’s a gradual process of trial and error. Learning and unlearning. Iteration and evolution. But believe me, it will be fulfilling and well worth it. In the meantime, we keep pushing with our current project of writing a book in a year. Reach out via our contact form if you want to join us or collaborate. If you enjoyed this please share it and hit the follow button to join our community of digital creatives let’s grow together. Thanks for reading.

Blog, Creative Essays, Writers

Being The Boss by Emmanuel Enaku

I poured myself yet another glass of Brandy and relaxed on the sofa. Life had been good the past few years. I had acquired lots of property and my bank account smiled daily with figures that carried excess zeros. I smiled as I sipped the Brandy. The drink traced a burning path down my throat and I began to feel a bit lightheaded and well, excited. I knew that I wasn’t supposed to get drunk because I’d need all the stamina I could get for the adventure Samantha Dinka — the wild, pretty, sassy and seductive damsel I met about a week — would be bringing but the date was 17th June, the day which, a year ago, the heavens seemed to have smiled down at me and made some editing to my life’s story. Did I say editing? Haha… Oh, dear! You see, I like to think that if there’s some supreme being out there, this being, would be a writer or something along the line. A huge hand wielding a huge pen and body bent over an equally huge desk, scribbling on a huge book, or perhaps, scroll — something like that, yunno, ancient of days with ancient stuff — and a supernatural brain pumping ideas into a supernatural imagination, hmm. I like to think all about this but it sometimes gets tedious as the stern voice of my Sunday school teacher would reach me from afar — “God’s ways are not our ways!”. Well, I give it to pastor Dotun. I think he knew better about God’s ways than I do even now. However, when I remember the effusive smile and powerful handshake Mr Chukwudi gave me on entering his office that Monday morning, I was sure that God must be a master of comedy, tragedy, tragicomedy — those sorts of things. My meeting with Don, AKA, Chukwudi was my first step in applying what I had learnt so far in the creator space. My journey of learning was, at first, more like an idle scrolling and reading and watching of YouTube videos — anything to distract me from the hurt I felt after my break-up with Sadiya, a ship that split right in the middle after colliding with the iceberg of religious incompatibility — and I could not believe, not in a long shot, that the snippets of knowledge I was gaining here and there would bring about such astronomical progress. You see, I signed that deal with Chukwudi for a paltry sum of money. I never saw Mr Chukwudi smile. He didn’t smile even as he signed the copywriting agreement and I didn’t smile either because I had lesser faith in myself and my abilities than he thought he had in me. I just wanted the distraction of a job. So, you could imagine my consternation when I saw his face, which had always looked like that of an angry ox, transformed with a pleasant wide grin. “Sit down, sit down!” He said, gesticulating with obese arms and then, he explained to me how my writing had brought in more customers and how business had thrived. As I left his office that afternoon, with my paycheck and a huge bonus, I was a completely different person. I began my blog and started a Messidinho series. A series that told a little of my life and my escapades as a young and hot nigga with an insatiable craving for honey-pots, what the Igbos called Otù. (Chuckles). I watched my followers increase across various social media platforms and took note of the corresponding increase in the figures at the bank. I became more adept. I started a series to help men who had low self-esteem and problems approaching women, leveraging my experience and the latest podcasting tools. Soon, I had paid classes that turned in a lot of people who were hungry to learn. For kids, I had a platform where I taught art creation. Having previously perfected my art ability and taken several courses on creative arts and graphics design, I employed people to work remotely from home giving tutorials not just in art and graphics but in many other subjects that a youngster would find interesting and perhaps, daunting. You know kids and adventures. I travelled and made vlogs, hosted conferences from the comfort of my home made use of Google meetings and similar tools. The money kept flowing. As my fans increased, I started getting paid in mega amounts of zeros to appear in shows and conferences within and outside the country. I wrote books, started a publishing company, created visibility online, across platforms and created a community for talented writers to grow. Soon, this community began to accept deals for ghostwriting, copywriting and playwriting from top shots and film houses. The journey has been great and I can only imagine what the future would bring, great, I’m sure! I mean, just look at it this way; the nearest future would bring Samantha Dinka, which isn’t going to be bad at all but ten years or so, wow. I’m already at the zenith of the Creator’s space but then, I doubt I’m ready to step down from the playing field. I know, I know you dread me having ten Samanthas. I don’t think I have the stamina anymore but there should be some wild nights or don’t you think so? Now, don’t look at me like that. I’m Messidinho after all and I don’t plan to stop being Messidinho anytime soon. (Chuckles).

Blog, Creative Essays, Writers

I Came To Win by Faith Oyadiran

Growing up in the suburbs of Ojo town in Lagos State came with its blessings. I grew up in my father’s three-room apartment, which lies a few blocks from the bustling Alaba International Market. Our proximity to this hub of commercial activities ignited in me a strong affinity for entrepreneurship . At age seven, I developed a deep passion for entrepreneurship, though without a defined niche. I fell in love with the various shows on display at the market: of people haggling over the prices of goods, the result of which could be a spontaneous fracas that leaves a receipt of swollen red lumps on the face of a customer who had haggled beyond the seller’s patience limit or a smile that lights up the face of someone who had just struck a bargain. My parents had expected me to indulge myself in some childhood rituals by playing video games with my friend Chike or dragging ownership rights to the TV remote with my siblings. The fun in such exuberance had eluded me. Instead, I would drop my bag, immediately change into my favourite baggy shorts and an oversized T-shirt, and head straight to my father’s shop. My father’s electronic store occupies the second floor of a three-story building situated along the main road. It had a large signpost lined with fancy neon lights attached to the frontage that read, “From grass to grace.” Astonished by my unwavering commitment, my father would pat me on the back, an act I have come to understand as his show of affirmation of my precocious traits. On one occasion, my father recounted, “At eight, I was busy hunting innocent lizards on the streets of Afor_ugwu in Aguobuowa, Enugu state”. My father would recline in his revolving armchair and tell me stories of how he had felt an urgency to leave the village and start something for himself. “I left my village with only a pair of clothes and shoes and promised never to return until I became successful.” His success story stirred up a desire in me to write my own narrative. At night, I will bring out my dog-eared velvet diary, which has been deprived of its best years. I would recreate scenes I had witnessed earlier in the market in detail. I would sketch, as appendages to my stories, the images of real-life people that detailed their varying dispositions toward their new acquisitions or their disappointments at their inability to obtain what they had come for. I had unconsciously developed an uncanny ability to string words and images into a narrative. At eighteen, I became obsessed with giving the family’s business a little prodding. I stumbled upon an advertisement offering free training on social media marketing and other packages that seemed overpriced. I enrolled for the free class and later paid for the extra packages on offer, such as video editing and graphic design using Canva. My love for video creation grew more. I began creating video ads in the form of skits to promote the business. I uploaded the video skits to my YouTube channel with high hopes of instant success, but to my dismay, I discovered that success itself is an adventure. I encountered more challenges, the most memorable being the day I was cornered by some of my father’s competitors and was accused of fraternizing with voodoo to boost our patronage. I remained resilient, seeing each obstacle as an opportunity to learn and grow. I began experimenting with different genres and styles until I eventually resorted to acting out the scenes I had enacted in my dog-eared diary as a seven-year-old. I gripped my audience by projecting the joy and enthusiasm visibly reflected on the faces of the clients that eventually make a purchase, while comically presenting the red, swollen face as a consequence of a decision to ignore what I’m offering. This level of creativity caught the online community unawares, and by implication, my followers and subscriber list had risen astronomically overnight from nothing to a little above 30k. I sat down to reflect on my journey so far, I was convinced that it was time to write my own story. I poured my heart and soul into producing vivid and compelling scripts alongside high-quality video skits highlighting the attitude it takes to thrive as an entrepreneur. I meticulously researched each topic to ensure accuracy and relevance while infusing my content with a playful and imaginative approach. My game went viral and consequently, opportunities began to knock at my door. I received invitations to collaborate with renowned organizations to amplify their brands while projecting them for an even broader reach. I had earned myself a valid reputation that booked me romantic dates with different brands and sponsors who could not resist the mouth-watering potential that our partnership had to offer. The Redridge Consortium, a firm worth billions of dollars, offered me a deal to create video ads for an entire section of their properties on Banana Island. It was a once-in-a-lifetime offer that included an acre of land in Ajah and a whopping sum of one hundred million dollars. I only had to do what I have always done. I executed the project to my client’s expectations. The video recorded over a million views within the next five days of its uploading on all social media platforms. It was a landmark achievement. I couldn’t contain my excitement at becoming the latest millionaire in town, so I chartered a private flight and headed straight to the Amazons to fulfil my lifelong dream of a cruise under the Aspen trees that overlay the bank of the Amazon River and an evening spent listening to the melodies of thrushes and other mysterious birds that had made the Amazons their home. My BIO Oyadiran Faith is a graduate of English Language and Literary Studies from Obafemi Awolowo University Osun State, Nigeria. He is an avid reader and a passionate writer. He currently works as a Diction instructor. He is on

Blog, Creative Essays, Writers

Hidden Millionaire by Becky O. Peleowo

I accompanied Maami to my cousin’s wedding on her insistence that I should reduce my digital presence and pay attention to “urgent” matters. My cousin, Kiki is getting married at 28. Kiki, a fresh graduate has no job but her would-be affluent husband would take full responsibility for her needs. That was what mattered more in Maami’s eyes. I also needed to prove to our extended family that I was not an Ashewo, the classified prostitute every one of them thought I was. I didn’t refuse Maami’s request because it was hopeless to do so. Even a widely acclaimed attorney would not win an argument against her. For Pete’s sake, why would my own family think I am a prostitute? Is it a crime to be a millionaire? Is it wrong to work from home rather than prance about town like a hunted gazelle? Or does driving a Lexus RX 350 and dishing out highly competitive content on social media make one a prostitute? What about being an author, a blogger, a TikTok queen and a social media influencer? I worked hard to earn my keep. Maybe Maami was right; Many Nigerians like to hear a simple-name profession. You have to be a doctor, a lawyer or a what-the-world-wants-me-to-be. I feel for Maami as I thought of her trying to defend her 40-year-old single-mum daughter that earns enough to buy a home on the Island in a classy metropolitan like Lagos. I imagine her trying to explain to her untutored circle of friends that her daughter made her money from writing and making videos that promote adverts for companies. I imagine her trying to explain how much effort I put into these videos, how frequently I study late into the night and how tasking replying to followers’ comments can be. Perhaps Maami needs to change her social circle to suit the changing times. Sitting on a decorated chair in the wedding hall with one of the flowers stands almost touching my head, I reminisced on how I started my journey to financial freedom. I used to be that jobless mother of one who had her CV in almost every organisation until one of the employers told me I was unemployable. What! Why? He said I lacked modern skills that could get me a decent job. I felt lost. I had grown up with criticism all my life. Body shaming and bullying were two monsters that tormented me until I discovered the route to self-esteem and self-development. I was born with bulging eyes that appear to be falling off their sockets when I spoke. In secondary school, I was always by myself because I did not want to be an object of ridicule to my friends. In my University days, I wore dark shades under the pretext of a sight defect just to ward off unpleasant comments. My sisters would call me “fish eyes” when I annoyed them. My mum would ask me why I was not as plump and curvaceous as my sisters. She would fret and lament how difficult it would be for me to find a man but now, I rock my “sexy eyes” and my petite figure like America’s next model as Donald would call them though I was closer to the floor in height. I looked around to see if Donald had arrived. He is my world and I am already feeling bored at the frivolities that clouded a typical Nigerian party. I anticipated Donald’s arrival with impatience. When I met Donald, I found out that there was finally one person who saw things differently from the scrutinizing eyes of the world. Everyone, including my son’s father, saw a skinny, unattractive woman who had no hope of making it on her own. My sisters used to tell me how lucky I was to have attracted my ex. Later I discovered he only wanted to marry me to process his visa to the United States and then he broke off the engagement and never returned, leaving me with an unborn baby. Donald saw a light in me that no one else saw. His first comment about my beautiful eyes still rings in my head and endears him to me. That he made me an independent woman and coached me into the creator economy was another reason Donald meant much to me. When we first met, I was shocked at how such a young guy could be so rich. He was a lab scientist but also a social influencer. He introduced me to digital marketing, then life coaching on Youtube and making content on TikTok. Currently, the best of our income comes from a partnership with companies on product advertisement and getting paid as social influencers. We created content on relationships, our daily life, health and many other topics that targeted the younger generation. Donald and I have been on for four years now and Maami thinks he might leave me for a younger woman soon. After all, why would a 35-year-old man dot on a 40-year-old woman with a child? “Wine, Ma’am?” A young dude carrying a tray of drinks flashed his teeth at me in the corner where I sat hoping that one of my followers would not recognise me. “Thanks,” I said, ruminating why the usher seemed jittery. I am not a celebrity, wait, maybe I am a digital one. “I should thank you!” He said beaming with smiles. “Why?” I replied “Your content on TikTok is inspiring.” “Really?” “Yes Ma’am!” “I follow you on Youtube and Instagram too. You’re Ewa from Ashes, right? I follow Don success too. I mean your boyfriend.” “Oh, thanks!” I gave a humble smile hoping the young chap would disappear before a family member appeared. Where on earth was Maami who wanted me to socialise and get a husband on time? “What’s happening here?” Maami always showed up when you needed her most. “Just one of my fans from the social sphere.” I turned to the youth, “If

Blog, Resources

Cmonionline Talkshop: Digital Creativity & Social Media

Plus FREE Graphic Design Course For 10 Attendees. In a few years, there will be half a trillion dollars for the taking by content creators. Goldman Sachs recently predicted that as the ecosystem grows, the total addressable market of the creator economy could roughly double in size over the next five years to $480 billion by 2027 from $250 billion today. Now we know that oftentimes writing doesn’t pay the bills. Many successful authors had to juggle between work and writing. Some even worked multiple jobs to make ends meet while still doing the craft they love. So it is normal that writers are asked to earn through other means even as they push the pen. Yet getting a job let alone a well paying one can be more arduous than writing itself. But that was then because thankfully the affordances of the digital era are innumerable and the burgeoning creator economy adds to the rich tapestry of the writer’s life. Smart people with digital skills are earning good incomes by leveraging social media. This is why I never stop writing about the need to acquire these skills. So in line with this, we will have a Talkshop on Sunday, June 25th, 2023. This time we are delighted to have two enthusiastic content creators Ada @lightwoxng and Ifunanya @iphie_explores as guest speakers. They will share their thoughts on digital creativity and social media. In the past, we trained 5 people in Graphic Design and this time we have decided to double the figure. Attending this session and training in graphic design will definitely give you the foundation to start creating and added to your writing skill its fair to say that the sky will be your beginning. Why do I say this? Because writing is the mother of all creation and in this internet era, content rules! So why not join us via Google Meet to discuss Digital Creativity & Social Media on Sunday, 25 June · 6:00 pm Video call link: https://meet.google.com/nty-inoc-scq It’s IMPORTANT to know that attending the Talkshop is part of the criteria for choosing 10 beneficiaries of the FREE Graphic Design course.

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Nigeria requests for user information from internet giants.

Reports by Thisday newspapers suggest that Nigeria has requested for user information from internet giants like Google and Facebook. The revelation was made in a report titled, “The Growing Trend of African Government’s Requests for User Information and Content Removal from Internet and Telecoms Companies,” which was released last month by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) established under the Catalysing Access to Information and Communications Technologies in Africa (CATIA) initiatives funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID). According to the report, requests for subscribers’ data, content preservation, and content removal were made by African governments. Facebook listed Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Sudan as the African countries that made the highest requests. However, the report noted: “It is worth noting that the number of requests to Facebook by African governments is small when compared to the United States of America which made nearly 50,000 user information requests relating to over 80,000 user accounts and 69,437 preservation requests in 2016. Google also reported: “Since 2013, Google has received user information requests from 10 African countries – Algeria, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, The Seychelles and South Africa. “Over three years, Kenya made the highest number of user information requests to Google – 21 relating to 32 user accounts – followed by South Africa and Nigeria. “Aside from eight requests made by the Kenya government during the second half of 2013 relating to 11 user accounts, of which Google complied with 63 per cent, all the other requests were rejected. “Nigeria is the only government in Africa to have made a user information request to Google and it was fully complied with. The emergency disclosure request was made by the Nigerian authorities in the second half of 2016 and it related to five user accounts. “Google had rejected all of Nigeria’s seven previous requests,” The report added: “In its 2016 Annual Sustainability Report, MTN reaffirmed its support for human rights including access to information, freedom of expression, privacy and security of its users’ communications and information. “However, the telecommunications company, one of the largest service providers in Africa with a presence in 19 countries, provides no information about how it handles requests from governments and private parties for user information or surveillance support. “Similarly, MTN provides little information about its processes for handling such requests. “The South Africa based company also does not disclose any data about the number of requests it receives or complies with, which places it a rank lower than the likes of Millicom, Vodafone and Orange when it comes to transparency about its policies relating to users’ freedom of expression and privacy.” There had been growing fears about the federal governments intent to monitor the social media after the Nigerian Army recanted a statement it made to that effect. This new report confirms that government is actively monitoring social discourse. Source: Thisday

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